The Contract (22 page)
Authors: Sandy Holden
Tags: #mommy porn, #submission, #xxx, #adult stories, #Erotic Stories, #Erotic Fiction, #Erotica, #sex stories
I looked at the ground. When I spoke, my voice was small. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
Another shake. “Did you not consider that I might feel that way as well? I had to chase my wife about the countryside, knowing that she was running towards two of the most coldly ambitious people there are. Your father abandoned his entire life to get you away from them. Yet given the opportunity you ran right back into their arms!” With each sentence, Max seemed to get angrier.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. He was completely right. After several silent minutes, I asked in a quiet voice, “Max, have you ever done something that was so bad you couldn’t even apologize for it? Made a mistake so large that there was no defense? You’re right. I didn’t think and I caused all those deaths.” I stopped because my throat closed, and I couldn’t go on.
Max sighed and sat down wearily on the cot. “Katrina, I’ve faced death more times than I can count, but I’ve never been afraid. Yet when I awoke and realized what you’d done, I was terrified. Don’t do that to me again.”
I knelt in front of him, and he let me close enough so I could wrap my arms around him. “Forgive me. I don’t deserve it, but forgive me anyway,” I said into his lap where I’d laid my head.
He ran his hand through my hair. “You’re forgiven,” he said quietly.
My head came up. I’d never thought I’d actually be forgiven. Not this night anyway, and if he did forgive me after a time, I’d thought it would happen without him ever admitting it.
He seemed to read this in my face. “I’m nearly ready to drop,” he admitted. “I’ve barely slept since you left.” He set me away enough so he could rise and throw enough blankets on the floor for us to be warm. He lay down and pulled one blanket over him. He gave me an expectant look, and I blew out the lamp and lay at his side, my clothes still full of dried blood. I finally pulled the pants off so I could sleep, and cuddled into my husband’s side. He’d fallen asleep almost before I’d reached the make-shift bed. I sighed and let my eyes close.
Epilog
Max was making me crazy. I hadn’t had one problem with the entire pregnancy, had felt wonderful, in fact. Callista was pregnant as well, but she’d had months of vomiting which had given way to stomach pains so severe she could barely eat. She’d delivered last week, and although I’d thought I’d deliver first, I was still waddling around.
I’d been having pains all morning, so I figured the day was finally here. But once I told Max, I’d had to deal with his worry that I’d die as his other two wives had. He’d already brought the best midwife in the land to come and attend me, as well as a physician. The two of them argued more than they did anything else, but Max wanted to be as prepared as he could be.
The midwife wanted me to walk, so Max was helping me walk around the castle. I was secretly enjoying having him around. He’d been gone for months and months with only occasional visits back as he dealt with the King and his soldiers. Eventually the two had reached an agreement—an agreement that heavily favored Max.
According to the agreement, Max’s land was now independent. Because of the distance from the capital city, some of the locals had begun calling Max’s territory Farland, and the name seemed to have stuck. Farland had gained territory in the battle, and now was approximately 2/3 of the original territory of the King. The King had also given Max money to help pay for some of the damages during the war. I knew through Max that had he wished it, he could have taken it all. But my husband was satisfied with what he had, and he’d told me that if someday he became bored, then he could always take it then.
As we walked I kept telling him I was going to be fine, but I could see that he was nearly convinced that he’d lose both the child and me today. As the pains increased, I began to worry the same thing. And I admit there was a point during which I begged him to find me Precipice, so I could kill myself.
About my strange knife: Max has found some information on it. It originated in some country neither of us had ever heard of. Maybe it was too far away, or maybe it had been overturned in some battle and forgotten. The story went that the knife was crafted by a man who wanted revenge more than his own life. Somehow he’d put a piece of himself into the knife, and the day after the knife was forged, the man who’d created it was found dead. The knife had been used by those who desired revenge, and was said to be nearly unstoppable. I wasn’t so sure about that, but I did wear Precipice in the little holder Max had gotten for me. I didn’t have much reason to use it these days, but I’ll always remember that when I’d needed it, Precipice had been there.
But back to the baby. After a long and ugly labor (at least to me it was ugly), I had Max’s little daughter in my arms. I’d worried he’d be angry it wasn’t a son, but about thirty seconds after he’d held the little baby, he’d been won over. He assured me over and over that he had no problems with having a daughter, and although it doesn’t sound so good right now, I know that soon we’ll be back to trying to have that heir.
Resting with the baby by my side, Max came in and lay down next to me, carefully taking me in his arms. “I understand now,” he said quietly.
“Understand what?” I asked, sighing against him.
“How your father could leave everything he had to take you. To protect you from growing up with those two royals.” I was often amused that while Max had more land and far more power than the “King,” he still called himself a Regent, and refused to consider himself royalty.
“Even though I was just a girl?” I said, teasing a little.
“Not just a girl,” he disagreed. “You were his daughter, and he loved you as I do.”
I turned slowly and looked at him. He’d never said that to me before. “You love me?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “I’d have told you sooner, but I was worried you’d die during the birth, and I couldn’t imagine life without you, love or not. Somehow it would have been even worse losing you had I admitted how I felt.” He shrugged, looking a little sheepish.
“I love you too, Max,” I said.
“But what I started to say was that I understand how a father might leave his life for his daughter. I’d always thought that I didn’t want a daughter. I didn’t see what use she would be. Now I know she doesn’t have to be of any ‘use’ at all. She just has to be, and that’s enough.“I kissed him on the lips and we settled down to sleep, our new little daughter next to us.
Dedication:
For Jeff, who doesn’t mind that I write all the time, and my boys: Matt, Erik, Brian and Kyle. Love you!
About The Author
Sandy was born and raised in Iowa, moved all over Minnesota and has finally put down roots in Texas. She attended the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Minnesota, and St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. She has four outstanding boys and a cat and dog. She has been writing since she was fourteen.
SYNOPSIS
Please put a one page summary of the book here. It doesn’t need to be perfectly written and can be in note form.
Note:
this is more of total synopsis with spoilers.
One of my favorite things about this story is it has a mix of contemporary language with medevil settings.
Katrina and her cousin, Callista, dare to run from the Regent Maximus, who holds their wardship. Katrina is shocked when Max himself comes to find her. After catching them, Max takes Katrina and gives her a choice: death or marriage. She chooses marriage, not at all sure her unusual ways won’t lead him to kill her anyway.
Once married, Katrina can no longer hide from Max as she had done since her father died. She has Max’s exacting eyes on her every day now, and finds herself adoring the things they do at night even while she gets punished for the things she does during the day. To her surprise she enjoys the spanking she gets as well.
When things seem calm, a messenger comes from the new King demanding Max return Katrina, nullifying their marriage. Max finally tells Katrina the truth, that her father stole her when she was young and brought her out here where Max was to be Regent—at the time in an agreement with the King. Now there is no agreement, and the new King believes Katrina to be his heir and will go to war to get her back.
Hoping to change their minds, Katrina leaves in the dead of night and rides until she is found by the King’s soldiers. She is taken to her mother, the Queen, and the man who believes himself her father, the King. Neither one cares what she has to say and intend to use this slight against the King by Max to invade Max’s lands and return the kingdom to one rule.
Her knife, given to her by Max, slides into the Queen’s throat when Katrina desperately tries to make an escape. Max helps her escape to the bridge, where both armies engage. She waits anxiously for Max, horrified she made have inadvertently gotten him killed. He survives and forgives Katrina.
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